


for you, the sun will be shining

by aestrales



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: M/M, i have one setting when it comes to willex and it's nonsensical fluff, inspired by barbie in the 12 dancing princesses, my toxic trait is creating elaborate lore for my AUs that nobody asked for, royal au, the fact that that isn't a tag is criminal, the power of friendship!!!!! found family!!!!!, willex ballroom dancing!!!!! and lots of it!!!!!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:14:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29021787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aestrales/pseuds/aestrales
Summary: Alex, speaking for himself, could only ever feel anxious in the presence of a thousand and one nobles and their servants swarming through the palace. He hated formal occasions and the pressure they brought- watching the distant carriages weave out of sight, he braced himself internally for the next few days.*Willie had never been to the ball before. Formal occasions like this were never his style, but, like it or not, he was his father’s representative while he was unwell and his older brother was rushing around trying to figure out how to be king.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 46





	1. Arrival at Flatshall

**Author's Note:**

> in case you want some atmospheric music, while writing this i was listening to either:
> 
> the barbie in the 12 dancing princesses theme 1 hour cover (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljBMR2z49YA&t=508s)  
> my willex playlist (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/213Ja5SRNMyksZIfTH109p?si=H23B5KHdR_qSq2mz6kIOJQ)  
> or this playlist which is my personal favourite (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6PJFmWoj4kOuXUViqtyg9q?si=ecIpJ_mlQauZsbKxSGlpeg)

“Luke, come on!” Alex heard the shouting from beyond his bedroom door. The southern wing was never really quiet, but with the excitement of the ball in the air, it was alight with noise at all hours.

In the Great War of the Four Islands, before they had been united seventeen years ago, many noblemen gave their lives to protect the land they held dear. The man who negotiated the treaties, King Molina of Flatshall, was given the title of Governor of the Four Island Alliance. And not long before the birth of his eldest daughter, he took on a ward- Alexander, the son of the renowned General Mercer, who had perished in the war and whose wife had died in childbirth.  
King Molina and his wife had brought him into their care, and he had been raised in the beautiful Southern wing, alongside the Crown Princess Julianna- or, to Carlos and Alex, simply Julie. The palace seemed always to be filled with their footsteps and their voices- and the sounds of the piano coming from the nursery.  
In the last few years, two of their closest friends had become permanent residents at the palace. Reginald, son of a noble family in Keyria, had been offered ‘diplomatic training’ on Flatshall, which enabled him to escape his tempestuous family and to strengthen the alliance between their islands in the process. Luke had run away from his noble family in Lintrie, rejecting his future as a Lord, and King Molina had offered him the same ‘training’- which consisted of sitting in on the occasional formal function and being a representative of the Four Islands Alliance at the castle, living as part of their family. They had both taken to life in the southern wing with ease, becoming fast friends with Alex, Julie and Carlos, and with each other, until it felt like they had always known each other.

“Alex! Alex, come on!”  
“What are you doing?”  
“The first carriages are arriving.”  
“Already?”  
“Do you think Bobby will be here already?” Reggie leaned so far over the stone balcony that Alex started to feel dizzy.

All they could see from this direction were the expansive gardens and in the very far distance the gates, where the long, winding drive up to the face of the castle began. Then, the hill on which the castle sat became too sheer, and though Alex knew the beautiful towns and villages of Flatshall sprawled out below them, all that was visible was the glittering ocean and the shores of their island neighbour, Midana.

The Four Islands lay roughly equidistant. Flatshall was, as the name suggested, mostly flat- made up of two plateaus, the smaller and higher of which bore the palace. To the South, in the direction Alex looked now, was Midana, which was all mountains and rambling meadows. Keyria was the largest of the four, and Lintrie was the smallest- respectively a sprawling, almost urban capital and a miniature haven most noted for producing the wool which was spun into the clothing worn by everyone from King Molina to the rural villagers in the mountains. It was how the treaty had been so skillfully struck: each island agreed to rely on each other for a certain good which only they could provide, until the attitudes of its people became grateful and familial, rather than wary and antagonistic.

This annual ball, bringing together the noble families of all the Four Islands, was a symbol of this ever-growing goodwill. At first, they were exciting- Alex and Julie could skirt through the glamorous crowds, stealing food and dodging their put-upon caretakers. But as they grew older, the responsibilities grew too. Julie had taken to it all like a duck to water. Even her mischievous younger brother Carlos bore the responsibility well.

But Alex, speaking for himself, could only ever feel anxious in the presence of a thousand and one nobles and their servants swarming through the palace. He hated formal occasions and the pressure they brought- watching the distant carriages weave out of sight, he braced himself internally for the next few days.

*

Willie had never been to the ball before. Formal occasions like this were never his style, but, like it or not, he was his father’s representative while he was unwell and his older brother was rushing around trying to figure out how to be king. Willie figured that all that time being groomed to take over the crown might have prepared his brother a little better, but apparently not.

The seemingly endless drive wound around the high plateau on which the castle sat was designed to avoid the steepest parts of the hill around it. When they eventually reached the main entrance, Willie saw five flags flying high above their heads; four for each of the islands, he recognised the Midanan one from home- and one in the centre, combining the colours and elements of the other four. The Four Islands flag, the symbol of their alliance after decades of bitter war.

“Quite something, isn’t it, William?” Caleb’s voice came from behind him. “The diplomatic capital of our little merry band.”  
Caleb was the most senior of the noblemen travelling from Midana bar Willie, and certainly the most respected.  
“It’s very impressive.” Willie said impassively. As they made their way to the entrance, he heard the voices of the servants announcing their names.

“Prince William of Midana, on behalf of his father, King of Midana. Lord Covington, Senior Royal Advisor.” The list went on as each nobleman approached behind them, and Willie sighed as they were marched into the throne room, flanked by servants.

The King was a kind-faced, earnest sort of man, dressed in dark clothes which suited his station without being ostentatious. Only three of the four thrones were occupied- the one on the King’s right, where his Queen should have sat, was empty. Willie remembered the news of the queen’s death reaching Midana vividly- the castle had been draped in black for a week, and even though he had never met her Willie felt how deeply her presence was missed.

In the other thrones sat a girl about Willie’s age, in a gown of rich purple and with a halo of brown hair adorned by a silver tiara, and a slightly younger boy in stiff-looking formal wear, who was adjusting his still-oversized crown.

Willie tried to let muscle memory take over- his brother had forced him to practice for an hour straight, determined not to let his unruly younger brother disgrace Midana- he bowed, at a right angle, then stood straight and waited for the King to speak.

“It is a pleasure to formally meet you, Prince William. I was sorry to hear about your father’s illness, and I wish him a swift recovery. I hope your journey was pleasant.” The King’s voice was sonorous, deep and just as earnest as his face- despite the formality, there was no artifice about him.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Willie replied. He felt a little stiff. “The pleasure is mine entirely.”  
Willie was more than glad to duck out and let Lord Covington do the rest of the talking. He had an ease in these situations that Willie didn’t, something charismatic about him. It wasn’t King Molina’s earnest, easy nature, but it was charm enough. As the Midanan party prepared to be led to their rooms before the evening’s festivities, King Molina spoke again.

“I hope you don’t mind, Prince William, but we’ve had to use every room in the palace to accommodate our guests. I thought it might fit you better to room in the southern wing, which the younger residents of the palace occupy.”  
Willie blinked in surprise- he’d expected to sleep in some stuffy room in a far corner of the castle, as he always did on trips like this. Even at this distance he could see a glint in King Molina’s eye and realised his reputation as the ‘troublemaker prince’ probably preceded him- or else the King just took pride in his economic use of the rooms in his palace.  
“That would suit me just fine, Your Majesty. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Willie followed the servants through the long corridors. They were decorated beautifully for the ball, but Willie could tell that great care was taken over the castle’s appearance. Much like the King himself, it was earnest but attractive, with tastefully chosen paintings and furnishings. It felt like a home, so unlike the Midanan castle.  
But nothing was quite as beautiful, or as homely, as the southern wing.

A long, wide and high corridor stretched out between two circular spaces. One was the balcony, opened onto by enormous glass doors which cast light down the entire length of the wing. The other was the entrance to the entire southern wing, decorated only with a huge stone floor patterned with five mosaic-tiled flowers in a circle. Willie inspected them, trying to recognise the flowers, but before he could get a proper look the servants ushered him to his room.  
“This is the southern wing guest room, Your Highness,” one of them announced with grandeur, “I hope it will be to your liking.” They slinked out of the room, leaving Willie in peace with his already-delivered luggage at the end of the four-poster bed.  
It was just as well decorated as everywhere else, and almost as light and airy as the corridor he had just come from. The four-poster bedding was a rich shade of azure, and the furnishings all beautiful and understated, clearly made by master craftsmen but without affectation. Willie wished his father had half the good taste of King Molina- the Midanan castle was littered thoughtlessly with as many gilded, plush pieces of furniture as would fit.

The dressing table next to the window had a large mirror, and Willie inspected himself in it. He looked the part, although Lord Covington wouldn’t have let him in sight of the King if he hadn’t. His hair was all pulled back off his face, and his clothes made him look a little broader and stiffer in the shoulders than he was used to. He pulled a face at himself in the mirror and sighed, tugging at the tie holding his hair back just a little to relieve some of the tightness in his head, and unfastening a single brass button on his jacket. He felt marginally better.

Willie stepped back out into the corridor and he realised with relief that the servants were gone. He had no doubt that they would be somewhere behind the huge doors to the southern wing, but he ignored that for now and moved in the direction of the balcony.

The gardens that he had seen at a distance from the drive seemed to stretch on forever. There was an orchard, a weaving pattern of flowerbeds and a huge hedge maze, with walls too high to see into even from his vantage point. It was beautiful, and he made his mind up to get a closer look at some point over the next week.

He made his way back down the corridor, looking at the dozens of doors that led off from it. One of them was open, and he saw an eclectic mixture of instruments and furniture within, including an enormous ornate piano. He walked back to the entryway and started examining the mosaic flowers again, and he was examining a beautiful impression of a pink rose before the door swung open.

“Hello?” Willie turned to see the princess in the doorway. Her enormous skirts were gathered in her hands to stop them trailing, and she beamed when she saw him. “Your Highness. I’m Julianna, but you can call me Julie.” She gave a shallow curtsey, and he gave a small bow in return. His shoulders relaxed at her informal, easy nature, and he grinned back at her.  
“Hello, Your Majesty. I’m William, but you can call me Willie.”  
“I hope the southern wing is to your liking. My brother and I both have our suites here, as do three other residents. I’ll introduce you as soon as I can.”  
“It’s lovely. The entire palace is beautiful.” Willie was surprised to find he meant it, and Julie beamed again.

Willie liked her already- it was rare to meet someone who was so down to earth when surrounded by the madness of palace life, especially a crown princess.

Speaking of down to earth, the doors swung open once again and a blur of blond hair was all Willie registered before someone thudded onto the stone floor, two others on his tail.

“Alex!” Julie tried to smother a laugh, but by the time Alex had recovered himself, she was openly giggling along with Reggie and Luke. It took some effort on Willie’s part not to laugh as well. “Are you hurt?”  
“Just my pride,” Alex answered dryly.  
“What on earth are you doing?”  
“We were racing up here. And technically Alex did win.” Reggie grinned, leaning against the frame of the door.  
“You tripped me!” Alex exclaimed, and Reggie gasped, scandalised.  
“Can the three of you behave yourselves for one week?” Julie sighed.  
“Doubtful.” Luke replied, shrugging.  
“Oh!” Julie remembered herself and gestured to their guest. “This is Prince William of Midana.”  
“Just Willie is fine.” He smiled.

Alex missed Julie’s introduction of himself, Luke and Reggie because he was staring at Willie, who was apparently the single most beautiful person in the history of the Four Islands. Who had just seen Alex trip over in the doorway trying to race across the castle and fall on his face. And he completely lost the ability to form so much as a syllable when Willie smiled at him. Was it possible for someone’s eyes to be that pretty? His hands were still smarting from where he’d hit the stone floor, but he could barely even feel them anymore.

“Willie is staying in the guest room.” Julie explained when Alex came back down to earth. She turned to Willie. “I have an hour before any more guests are due to arrive, would you like a tour of the castle?”  
“Sounds great.” Willie nodded. Julie turned back to Alex, Luke and Reggie.  
“You three, behave yourselves.” Julie said sternly, and they all had the decency to look somewhat sheepish. “I’ll see you later.” As she walked out, Willie turned back to glance at Alex, who was still watching him, and smiled. Then the door clicked shut behind them, and Alex felt his heart return to something of its normal rhythm.  
“Let’s find Carlos. I wanna steal some banquet food.” Luke said decisively.


	2. Flowers and Moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for the comments on the first chapter, they mean the world to me!! also I know there are probably a lot of mistakes in this but I’m trying to just accept it when things aren’t perfect adhsfjgk
> 
> I forgot to mention before but the title is from Songbird by Fleetwood Mac (as is the title of another willex wip I have because it’s the most romantic song ever and it’s what they deserve)

The ball was in full swing, and so was Alex’s anxiety. He’d stuck to Reggie like a limpet for the last hour, but the dance floor was filling and both Reggie and Luke had been pulled out of his reach. He searched desperately for a familiar face, but when he saw nobody available, and the tightening sensation in his chest kicked up a gear, he finally elected to sneak out through the floor-to-ceiling windows that had been opened to keep the room cool in the hot summer. He thanked his lucky stars that nobody stopped him as he headed around the side of the castle, and out to the gardens.

Before he could make it to the gardens, but just out of sight of the guards, servants and swilling guests admiring the view of the moon above the ocean, he collapsed onto a stone bench and leaned his head against the cool stone wall.

“Hey, are you okay?” The prince from Alex’s earlier tripping incident appeared, looking somehow even more radiant silhouetted by the moonlight. If he wasn’t already having a complete meltdown, Alex would have just completely shut down.

“I’m fine.” Alex lied.  
“What is it? Is it the party?”  
“Yeah.” Alex wished he would just leave already, it was bad enough that he felt like his ribs were tightening in on themselves without having someone else watch. He closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing, like when Julie had held his hand and counted for him growing up. He could feel his side stinging with the effort.

He felt a sudden presence next to him, and when he opened his eyes the prince was sat beside him, looking concerned.  
“Should I get someone?”  
“No! No, it’ll pass.” Alex waved his hand a little too frantically. “I’m okay, really.”  
“I disagree.” Willie- that was how he’d introduced himself, Alex remembered now- replied, his expression reminding Alex a little of Julie when she knew one of them was lying, eyebrows raised, eyes warm and knowing and familiar.

He forced himself to look away and counted again- in for five, hold for five, out for seven. It was rocky and his breath was shuddering, but he’d had worse. In, hold, out. He felt his pulse slow in his throat and kept going. Was Willie still there? He didn’t open his eyes to see. The breeze felt good against his face and he loosened the grip he hadn’t even realised he was holding on the bench beneath him.

“Do you feel better?” Willie asked, whisper-quiet like he was afraid to disturb Alex. He opened his eyes.  
“Yeah. A bit.”  
“Does that happen a lot?” Willie asked, and when Alex paused to answer he added, “Sorry. I’m probably being intrusive.”  
“No, no, it’s okay. You’ve seen me fall on my face already.” Alex laughed, but it was a little hollow. “Yes, it does happen a lot. I’ve always been anxious by nature.” He shrugged.  
“Oh.” Willie said, still speaking softly. “I’m sorry if I was unhelpful following you out, I just wanted to see if you were okay.”  
“Thank you.” Alex said softly.

They sat for a moment in a silence, and Alex couldn’t be sure it was only his anxiety that made the air between them feel like it was crackling.  
“Is there anything that makes you feel better when you’re anxious?” Willie asked, and Alex felt himself relax again at his low, soft whisper.  
“I normally go for a walk in the garden, but it’s much too late for that.” Willie hummed in response.  
“It’s still pretty warm. I’ll walk with you, if you want.”

Alex blinked a few times, finally looking right at Willie. The moonlight was hitting his face now, illuminating his cheekbones. He chose, apparently, that exact moment to pull the tie out of his ponytail and shake it loose, and Alex really, really hoped that Willie had terrible peripheral vision because he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Alex didn’t think he’d ever seen anything as strikingly beautiful in his life.

Alex ended up describing the gardens in immense detail, rambling away his nerves and not noticing that Willie was hanging off his every word.  
“That’s the orchard. We all got to choose what we grew in a certain patch near the southern wing, and Reggie chose an orchard. He likes to take the apples he grows down to the stables.”  
“What did you choose?”  
“A hedge maze.” Alex chuckled to himself. “I know, it sounds stupid.”  
“Nah. It sounds lovely.”

“I’m the only one who can navigate it by memory. Whenever I used to get anxious I’d run and hide in the garden somewhere, and the maze was sort of- a natural progression.”  
Willie nodded. Something about Alex was so compelling, so earnest, that even beyond how beautiful he was there was something magnetic about him. Willie could have listened to him talk for hours.

When they reached the entrance to the maze, Alex looked like he was about to keep walking- but Willie laid a hand on his arm again.  
“You said you can navigate it by memory.” Willie turned to face him. “Can I see?”  
Alex hesitated. Hardly anyone went in the maze except him- his friends hated how quickly they got lost in it, and it was kind of his sacred space. But for some reason, he wanted to show Willie. They’d known each other for such a short space of time, but Alex felt like he’d been swept up in some magical moment and he wanted to follow where it lead him. Something about the cover of night, and the light of the moon and stars playing across Willie's face, was making him impulsive.

Within the first few steps they took inside, Willie was overwhelmed. The dark, inky green of the trees hid even the moonlight from view, and they could barely see in front of them. He grabbed Alex’s arm without thinking, and they linked instinctively until Willie was pressed against his side.

The hedges were high and the maze seemed to go on forever, but Alex didn’t even falter, leading Willie surely and smiling back at him with every corner they turned. Willie clung to him desperately for some minutes, until they reached a clearing in the enormous hedges and the moonlight returned to them from above.  
There was a stone bench, a little like the one they had been sat on before, and a huge rose bush covered in pink flowers. Smaller rose plants clambered up each tight hedgerow, and the whole space felt like they had emerged from darkness into beautiful light. The paved area was surprisingly spacious, and the privacy afforded by the high hedges made it feel like a small oasis.

Willie was enamoured. He felt Alex’s shoulders shift, relax a little, and he kept his grip, feeling the warmth radiate from his companion’s side.  
“It’s beautiful.” Willie said, feeling his voice span through the clearing into the night air. “Why roses?” He hummed.  
“They’re my favourite. My parents used to grow them too, in their garden. And I like pink.” Alex shrugged.

Willie took a seat on the stone bench, still looking around him, but Alex remained where he was. Willie patted the space next to him with a smile.  
“Stay close. I’m gonna need my navigator if I ever want to make it out of here.”  
Willie tried to hide his smile when Alex sat down beside him. His hair was falling in his eyes and it took all the strength Willie had not to brush it away for him.

“Can I ask you something?” Alex asked, taking his cue from Willie’s nod. “Why were you outside the ballroom?”

Willie considered his answer carefully, but something about being surrounded by blooming roses and sat only inches away from Alex disarmed him.  
“I’d been looking for you, actually.” He shrugged. “I wanted to ask if you danced.”  
Alex turned to look at him then, his mouth a small ‘o’ of surprise. Willie nudged him with his shoulder and smiled again, his eyes glittering.

“Well, I do. Dance. Not very well. But my mother was a dancer, it’s how she met my father.”  
“Your parents sound like they were good people.”  
“My dad was a good general and a respected leader, but that’s all I really know about him. He’s mentioned in documents of the history of the war a few times, but nothing interesting.” Alex sighed. “Sorry. It’s not exactly a fun subject.”  
“It must be hard.” Willie nodded, looking at Alex’s hands which were fidgeting in his lap.

“It would be. But I’ve got another family now, in the palace. They’re all I really need. Julie, and Reggie and Luke, and Flynn- that’s Julie’s lady-in-waiting, and her best friend. It’s hard to feel lonely.” He laughed quietly, and Willie couldn’t help but smile. Alex’s face seemed to light up when he talked about his friends, and Willie could have watched him forever, adoration written across his face.

“They sound wonderful.” Willie agreed.  
“Well, they get under my skin sometimes. But I do love them.”  
“I know how you feel. I’ve got an older brother.”  
“Oh, right. The Crown Prince.” Alex said, laughing at Willie’s expression of pure contempt.  
“He’ll be a good king, just like my father, but he’s a mediocre brother at best. I hardly ever saw him growing up, because he was learning the ropes of leadership as soon as he could walk. Now he comes to see me only to scold me. He thinks I’m a loose cannon.” Willie laughed. “He’s right, but it’s not “becoming” for a prince.”  
Alex laughed, and a soft silence fell between them again. Willie gazed at the roses, numerous and in full bloom, each a detailed pattern of dozens of petals.

“So, how about that dance?” Alex turned to Willie, whose face lit up.  
“It would be my honour.”  
They were too far away to hear the music from the ballroom, so they resorted to counting a rough one-two-three-one-two-three themselves, laughing as they stepped across the paved courtyard. Willie’s loose hair fell about his face as they quickened, giving a wide berth to the rose bushes as they danced.

Eventually, they fell out of time and collapsed together, still laughing. But neither of them let go of their hold. They became still, hands intertwined, faces close together, and Willie seemed to have left his last vestige of self control somewhere in that last spin because he reached up and brushed Alex’s hair- now even more in his face- out of the way until his hand came to rest at the side of Alex’s head.

Somewhere between the sweet scent of the roses and of Alex, all warmth and something cinnamon-sweet, Willie found himself leaning in closer until their lips touched. Just softly at first, barely brushing each other, until Alex’s hands came to rest at the sides of Willie’s neck.

Willie wrapped his hands around Alex’s waist, leaning into the kiss. It was soft and perfect and Alex could feel his heart pounding.

When they shifted apart again, Alex blinked like he expected that at any moment, he would wake up in his bedroom and this would all be a bizarre, perfect dream. But Willie stayed there, his hand on Alex’s forearm proof of his presence, and smiled so gently and Alex felt his entire body magnetically pulled towards him.

*

“Alex! I want a story.” Carlos, missing two front teeth and still small enough that getting onto the sofa was a struggle, tugged at the sleeve of Alex’s nightshirt.  
“Can’t someone else read you a story? I’m busy.” Alex frowned.  
“No you aren’t! And I want your story.” Alex sighed. When Carlos wanted ‘Alex’s story’, he wouldn’t take no from an answer, and he wouldn’t let anyone else read it. There was no getting away from this.  
Once he settled in the armchair next to Carlos’s bed with the aging, delicate copy of his mother’s storybook, adorned with an array of flowers, he began.

_Once upon a time, there was a kingdom under siege. The harmony of the world was out of balance, and there seemed to be nowhere left to run. Even within the walls of the palace, a young princess could feel the discord of the world around her. Powerless to help her parents in their struggle, she threw herself into dancing, her truest passion. She would dance in the garden from sunrise to sunset, and wished she could dance on through the night. But her father kept her under close watch in the castle, lest their enemies try to attack in the night.  
One night, when she could not sleep, she ventured into the castle. In a wide hallway, she began to dance, until the floor beneath her glowed bright and a staircase opened to a magical realm._

_Inside this magical realm was a garden, even richer and more beautiful than the one she danced in, and a beautiful lake. There was also a bush covered in beautiful flowers of pure gold, which swayed in the breeze and sparkled. The girl sighed. “I wish,” she said, “I had some music by which to dance in this beautiful realm!”  
And as one of the golden flowers fell from the bush, beautiful music seemed to appear from nowhere. The princess gasped with delight, and began to dance to the music- she danced until she exhausted herself._

_“Oh no!” She cried. “It must be nearly morning! I wish I could get back home!”  
And at that, the staircase reappeared, leading her straight into the entryway. She scurried back along the corridor to her own bedroom, just as the sun appeared over the horizon.  
The princess was exhausted, and she slept through most of the day. But at night, she danced again in the entryway and again, the staircase appeared._

_With every wish the princess made- for music, for new shoes as her old ones fell apart, for new dresses- a golden flower fell from the bush and died. And every night, she made it back to her bedroom only just before being discovered missing by the servants. But she went back down each time, and danced in the magical kingdom._

_One night, once she had wished for her music, her shoes and her dress to dance in, there remained only one flower. And when the morning came and she wished to return home, that final flower fell off and died. When she had made it up the staircase, the princess ran back to her room as usual- but when she returned the following night, the staircase would not appear. She danced across every stone in the floor, frantically trying to open the stairway, but it did not appear. She had used the last wish, and the magic had worn out.  
The girl wept for the loss of her beautiful realm for some days- but she was not a selfish girl at heart, and before long she was content again to dance in the palace gardens, though always with the memory of her beautiful kingdom, even when her own lands were at peace, and she had become queen. ___

__*_ _

__The southern wing was quiet. William had made it easy for him, in the end, by disappearing- Caleb told the guards at the perimeter of the southern wing that he was looking for the Prince, who was officially under his care.  
His footsteps echoed on the stone floor. Nobody was up here at all, it seemed, but the bedroom doors had been locked. One room remained open, a large common space furnished with beautiful seats and sofas, with a large piano in the centre.  
Caleb walked to the balcony at the other end of the corridor and looked out over the gardens. Two figures appeared at the orchard, one of which he recognised by the long hair falling about his shoulders- Caleb had _told _him to keep it tied up during all formal events, but clearly he hadn’t listened. The other, Caleb realised, was one of the King’s wards, who had been introduced with his companions earlier in the evening. Caleb frowned as he watched them walk together- it would be just typical of William to thwart his plans by veering off and latching onto some nobleman’s son. He’d always been a wild card, but this was not to be borne.___ _

____*_ _ _ _

____Alex knew the shortcut back up to the southern wing without having to go back through the ballroom, and he took Willie that way. The wing was empty, and their voices seem to echo endlessly in the space.  
“What flower is that?” Willie pointed at one of the tile mosaics.  
“It’s a dahlia. Those mosaics are old, but it was Julie’s mother’s favourite flower.”  
“Oh.” Willie nodded. “It’s beautiful.”  
Alex led him into a wide room, bursting with an eclectic mix of furniture and instruments. In the centre was a piano, and on the far wall, behind some of the seats- it looked like they were frequently rearranged- was a huge bookshelf.  
“This is like our common area.” Alex explained. “It used to be the nursery, and we still call it that.” Willie walked over to the bookshelf, his eyes scanning the titles in the low light._ _ _ _

____“What’s this?” He pulled a volume, thin and delicate, with a beautiful illustration of flowers on the cover and no title.  
“Oh, that’s my mother’s storybook. Everything my parents had was left to me, and that book is my favourite. Julie’s mother used to read it to us growing up, and Carlos used to always make me read it to him, too.”  
Willie examined the cover. It was an unusual mix of flowers across the cover, painted in vivid colour. Alex had come closer, examining it over Willie’s shoulder._ _ _ _

____“I haven’t seen it up close in years.” He said softly. And it was unusual, Alex would reflect in the years to come, that Willie picked that volume off the expansive shelves. There were history books and novels dating back centuries in beautiful leather bindings, and he might have chosen any one of them to examine. But Willie handed the small book, holding it like it was something truly precious, to Alex, and simply said,  
“Can I hear it?”  
“I- really?” Alex blinked in disbelief.  
“If you don’t mind.”  
And so Alex lit one of the small candles on the bookshelf, and he and Willie sat at either end of a cushioned loveseat as he read._ _ _ _

_____Once upon a time, there was a kingdom under siege… ____ _ _ _

______*_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I can’t find him anywhere.” Julie frowned, returning to the edge of the ballroom where Reggie, Luke and Bobby were talking.  
“He must have gone out for fresh air. Or else he’s gone to bed.” Reggie shrugged. “If he isn’t upstairs when we head up, we’ll all go look for him.” Seeing her still disturbed face, he laid a hand on her forearm. “He’ll be fine, Julie. He’ll just have wanted to get away, you know how he gets around crowds.”  
“Did you find him, Jules?” Flynn appeared, in a full length gown of soft red, with jutting shoulder attachments from which more fabric flowed past her arms.  
“No. I can’t see him anywhere.” Julie frowned again. “But I’m sure he’s fine.”  
“He will be. Now come on, let’s dance.” Flynn gestured to the boys, and as the music shifted into something more upbeat, they all followed her onto the dance floor._ _ _ _ _ _

______*_ _ _ _ _ _

______As Alex finished the story, Willie smiled softly at him.  
“It’s a beautiful story.” He said, “Thank you.”  
“I must be a little rusty- Carlos has been too old for bedtime stories for a little while now.”  
“I liked it.” Willie leaned forward, watching Alex’s lips carefully. Alex leaned in in kind, and they ended up with their foreheads pressed together, watching each other as though they had all the time in the world. Willie closed the distance between them once again._ _ _ _ _ _

______Alex could have kissed Willie forever, if he’d had his way. But the unmistakeable sound of the doors opening out in the corridor cut them off abruptly, and they jumped apart, Alex still holding the storybook with both hands.  
“Alex?” Julie’s voice rang out.  
“In here!” He called back, smiling apologetically at Willie.  
Julie appeared in the doorway, and behind her were the unmistakeable sounds of Reggie, Luke, Flynn, and Bobby.  
“You’ve been sent up already?” Alex asked.  
“My father thought we shouldn’t overexert ourselves on the first night. I think he sent Carlos up about an hour ago” Julie scowled. “I could have kept going and then some.”  
“Agreed.” Flynn said. “I could have danced until the sun came up.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Alex and Willie shared an amused look at Flynn’s unwitting reference to the storybook, still in Alex's lap.  
“I wondered where you were all night. I suppose this is my answer?” Julie looked between Alex and Willie, both of whom looked suitably embarrassed. Julie grinned in victory as the rest of their party entered, collapsing onto the furniture around them._ _ _ _ _ _

______She walked over to the fireplace, but Reggie stopped her, taking the log from her hands.  
“What, you think I can’t lay a fire by myself?” She said indignantly.  
“Not without setting fire to your dress,” he replied, tugging on the enormous purple skirts that surrounded Julie for a two-foot radius. She huffed, but conceded defeat and crossed to the piano._ _ _ _ _ _

______Willie took the book from Alex’s hands, his fingers deliberately brushing over Alex’s. He examined the cover once again.  
“That’s a dahlia, right?” He said, so softly that only Alex could hear. Alex nodded.  
“And that’s a pink rose. Those are both on the mosaic out there, aren’t they?”  
Alex frowned. He’d never made the connection before. It might only be incidental, but- even the colours matched. Red tulips, bluebells, purple dahlias and pink roses.  
“How have I never noticed-”  
“Jules, play me something. I want to dance.” Flynn gestured to the piano, and Julie- with some difficulty, given the enormity of her skirts, took to the piano stool and began to play one of Flynn’s favourite dances from memory._ _ _ _ _ _

______Flynn pulled Luke out of his seat, and he whined briefly but obliged, joining Flynn as she swirled the length of the room, one hand holding her skirts just out of the way. Alex stood and slipped out of the room, followed closely by Willie._ _ _ _ _ _

______“They’re exactly the same.” He said in amazement. “How did I never see that?”  
“Do those flowers have any historical significance? Maybe it’s a reference to something.”  
“I don’t know.” Alex frowned. “Nothing I can think of.”  
“The story says the princess danced across the floor in the wing of the castle where her room was. Do you think-” Willie trailed off. It was only a story. Perhaps it had once been a famous story, and the mosaics in the floor were there to reference it. He looked back at Alex, who frowned._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Alex!” Reggie leaned out of the doorway. “Stop bailing on us and come dance. Both of you.” He grinned at Willie.  
“Reg, come look at this.” Alex beckoned.  
“Your mother’s storybook?” Reggie frowned, looking at the cover.  
“Look at the cover, and the mosaics on the floor. They match.”  
“Woah. They really do!” Reggie turned back to the door. “Guys, come look at this!”  
Everyone emerged, and in their turn examined the cover of the storybook and the mosaics._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Crazy coincidence.” Luke said, looking intently at the bluebell mosaic on the floor.  
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence.” Julie said. She took a deep breath. “Dahlias. I know I sound crazy, but Dahlias were my mother’s favourite flower. This- this feels like a sign, somehow.” She took the book from Alex, running a finger over one of the luminescent purple flowers.  
“I believe you, Jules. But a sign of what?” Flynn asked.  
“I have no idea. But we’ve had this book our entire childhoods, and only now do we make the connection.” She looked up at Alex.  
“It is strange.” He hesitated. “You don’t think- you don’t think it’s-”  
“Really magical?” Julie finished for him. She laughed a little. “Probably not. But who knows.” She laughed again, a little nervous, and reached out an ornate purple slippered-foot to touch the purple dahlia mural._ _ _ _ _ _

______As she did so, it began to glow, and a faint, melodic hum emanated from it.  
“No way.” Flynn gasped. Julie, wide-eyed, tapped it again, and the hum grew into a chime. Nobody spoke, eyes riveted in amazement to the illuminated dahlia.  
“Try the other ones!” Luke exclaimed, pointing to the bluebell mural on Julie’s left. She stepped on the bluebell, but nothing happened, and the dahlia faded back to stone._ _ _ _ _ _

______“How is it- how is that possible?” Julie whispered, tapping her slipper against the dahlia again and watching it light up.  
“And why didn’t the bluebell work?” Reggie asked, stepping towards it to examine it more closely. But as he did, he stepped on the red tulip mural, and it began to glow and chime, just like the dahlia. “Woah.” He stepped back and repeated the motion, watching the glow resound the instant his foot landed on the mosaic._ _ _ _ _ _

______Julie examined the book in her hands, turning to the first page.  
“You guys walk across this floor every single day. Why has this never happened before?” Luke asked.  
“The princess’s kingdom was in a war, right?” Julie said. “I think I have a theory. Alex, try standing on that one.” She gestured to the pink rose, and Alex moved towards it. It, too, started to glow when he stood on it. “Luke, that one.” She pointed at the bluebell, and again it lit up._ _ _ _ _ _

______Only one flower remained.  
“I think it’s something to do with the Four Islands.” Julie mused, glancing between the book and the stones. “Those colours are similar to the Island flags- Flatshall’s flag has a pink border, Lintrie has a blue background, Keyria has red. And Midana has blue insignia in the centre. I might be completely wrong, and I don’t know what the dahlia means.”  
Flynn stepped forward._ _ _ _ _ _

________“If each flower represents one of the islands, maybe the dahlia represents the connection between them. And that’s why it’s you, Jules, ‘cause your dad is the Governor of the Alliance.”  
Julie nodded.  
“That could be it, Flynn. You’re a genius.” Flynn grinned and pretended to wave her off. “Flynn’s from Flatshall, and Bobby’s from Keyria, so that last one has to be Willie, right? The blue hydrangea for Midana?”  
“Try it!” Reggie urged, and Willie glanced around before stepping towards the hydrangea, on Alex’s right. The chime and the light came again, making the flowers glow like a blue summer’s sky._ _ _ _

______“Everyone step on it together.” Flynn motioned, and they complied, until the only unlit flower was the dahlia. Julie inhaled deeply, watching the stone like she expected it to disappear before her eyes, and stepped forward._ _ _ _ _ _

______In the centre of the five murals, the floor began to dissolve, until a staircase appeared that spiralled straight down. Alex could see lush green foliage some way below them, and the edge of a body of shimmering water._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Woah.”_ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a crisis halfway through editing about whether the relationship development was too sudden but then I thought fuck it we’re working on Disney princess love at first sight rules here
> 
> come say hi on tumblr @kirkisms!

**Author's Note:**

> this fic came to me one night and i wrote more in one sitting than i think i ever have before??? i usually don't publish the stuff i write because i get overrun with self doubt and never finish anything. so thank you to my friends & to the corner gang discord for their moral support while i wrote & edited this, i hope y'all enjoy!!
> 
> come say hi on tumblr @kirkisms


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